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Basalt
Basalt is an unaligned Gem currently living in The Fortress on Mars. She is originally from Earth, but Cubic Zirconia forced her to leave to escape the Cluster. Appearance Basalt is a relatively short Gem, being just slightly taller than Amethyst, with a stocky build. She has gray skin, bluish gray eyes, and long, messy purple hair that falls down to her lower back. Her entire body is covered in scarlike cracks. Basalt has what appears to be a round, black cabochon on the back of her left hand. However, this gemstone is not real, actually being part of her form. Her real gemstone is on the palm of her right hand, and is misshapen and dull, looking more like an ordinary rock than a gemstone. Interestingly, her gemstone's shape will change slightly when in a fusion. Debut In her initial appearance, Basalt wore a dull purple, short, tattered dress with one shoulder strap on her right shoulder, a black square shoulder guard on the same shoulder, and a black, loose-fitting belt, but no shoes. Her outfit, much like her skin, was covered in cracks. Current After regenerating on Mars, Basalt wears a sleeveless gray sundress with a jagged skirt and a similar jagged design along the body, the dress' color darkening from the top down. Her hair is parted slightly in the middle to reveal a new, diamond-shaped chip on her forehead from Cubic Zirconia's pistol. Personality If one word could be used to describe Basalt, it would be "emotional." She prefers to put logic to one side and let her feelings dictate her actions. For this reason, she often seems childish and impulsive. Basalt distrusts other Gems, having been tormented by other Gems early in her existence, and doesn't like being called a Gem herself; instead, she refers to herself as a "common rock." She doesn't consider such self-deprecating; in fact, if others call her a rock, she takes it as a compliment. Similarly to the Crystal Gems' Amethyst, Basalt enjoys experimenting with her form. While in Beach City, she often assumed a humanlike persona she dubbed "Rocky," and would occasionally play her own version of Steven Tag with Crazy Lace Agate. History Basalt was made to test an Earth Kindergarten intended for Obsidians. The Kindergarten was sloppily designed, causing the would-be Obsidian to absorb quartz crystals, cool improperly, and emerge horribly defective. By some sheer coincidence, it was Rose Quartz herself that saved Basalt from being shattered on the spot, taking her aside and later claiming she had been ordered by Pink Diamond herself to keep the rock active. Under these orders, Basalt was taken to the Prime Kindergarten and assigned to the command of Crazy Lace Agate. The agate proved to be extremely abusive, regularly beating all the soldiers in her squadron but especially Basalt. While surrounded by sympathetic Amethysts, the rock's main reprieve became none other than Rose Quartz, who visited her frequently on her trips to Earth. Not long after the Rebellion started, Basalt met with Rose Quartz one last time. The "quartz" explained her intents to Basalt and asked her if she would join the Crystal Gems. However, before she could give a yes or no, Crazy Lace spotted the rebels and called her squadron in to fight them. During the fight, Basalt ended up getting stuck underground; ironically, her own commander got trapped with her. The Agate became angry, drew her whip, and beat Basalt relentlessly until the rock decided she had enough. She grabbed the whip and fought back, destroying both the whip and the Agate's form; however, she kept her gem intact out of pity. For the rest of the Rebellion, Basalt remained trapped underground, and was presumed by both sides to have been shattered during the skirmish. After Crazy Lace regenerated, the two "cave rocks" kept one another company and searched for a way out. Attempts to break through the walls with brute strength or tools were futile, and they even tried (and failed) to fuse for more strength. It was only long after the Rebellion that they found a way out, when a corrupted Gem dug its way to them and attacked. They managed to fend it off and wandered on the surface for some time, before settling near what is now Beach City and secretly using the Crystal Gems to protect themselves from future attacks. Abilities Basalt, for the most part, has standard Gem abilities, such as shapeshifting and superhuman strength. Fusions * When fused with Aqua Aura, they form Bixbyite. Skillsets * Club Proficiency: Basalt can summon a spiked club, and use it, with ease. * Acrobatics: To compensate for her fragile composition, Basalt has learned to use her small size to her benefit by dodging attacks rather than blocking them, and will use her agility to get to otherwise difficult to access areas (through forests, to the tops of cliffs, etc). Unique Abilities * Enhanced Empathy: Due to her intended role as an obsidian, Basalt has a form of one-way telepathy that allows her to sense the presence and current feelings of nearby Gems, even if they are in hiding. This power is strong enough to sense a fusion's individual components, or even a shapeshifted Gem's true form. However, she cannot pinpoint a Gem's location without concentrating, nor can she detect the feelings of organic beings (such as humans), and she can get easily overwhelmed if there is a large number of Gems nearby. * Disproportionate Strength: Despite her defectivity, Basalt's type and semi-quartizine composition makes her strong enough to compare to a chalcedony. She was able to defeat Crazy Lace Agate and destroy her form despite having no experience with the weapon used (a whip), and could hypothetically give even Jasper trouble in combat. Weaknesses * Fragile Composition: Basalt, while showing strength comparable to a Quartz soldier, is very easy to damage compared to other Gems. An attack that would merely stun a Ruby, for example, could easily "poof" her. Her body also has a tendency to "scar" despite being made of light. In fact, the cracks all over her body come from injuries she received in the past. Relationships Cubic Zirconia Basalt and Cubic Zirconia quickly became friendly with one another, but their relationship is currently strained due to the latter bringing the former to Mars against her will. Basalt became willing to do certain actions almost exclusively to spite the Zirconia. Crazy Lace Agate Basalt was, like many soldiers under Crazy Lace's control, frequently abused by the agate. For this reason, Basalt both feared and hated her. After defeating her in combat and recognizing her as being similar to herself, Basalt was more willing to open up to Crazy Lace out of sympathy. As of the beginning of The Forgotten Planet, the two have a friendly relationship. Aqua Aura Quartz When first meeting Aqua Aura Quartz, Basalt was somewhat afraid of her. However, she was still willing to visit her upon request, if only to spite Cubic Zirconia. Aqua Aura became the first Gem that Basalt ever successfully fused with when the two formed Bixbyite. Pink Diamond Even in her absence, Basalt holds a deep love for Pink Diamond, referring to her as her "mother." It is implied that she has long known what actually happened to her former Diamond, down to her alter ego. However, she hasn't told anyone, not even Crazy Lace Agate, the truth, and still laments her Diamond's passing (albeit for a different reason). When talking to other Gems about the matriarch's fate, she claims that, rather than being murdered, Pink Diamond willingly gave her life for Earth. The Crystal Gems Basalt has mixed opinions on the Crystal Gems, living near their temple when on Earth but choosing to remain independent of them for millennia. She only voiced a desire to join the group after learning about the Cluster's existence, hoping to stop its emergence entirely. She at some point befriended Rose Quartz prior to her rebelling, and in "Signs of Life," it is implied that Basalt also knew Pearl personally. Trivia * Despite not needing to, Basalt occasionally enjoys eating and sleeping. * Due to the fact she spent most of her existence on Earth, Basalt frequently uses human terms and figures of speech when she talks. Gemology Information * Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained variety of igneous rock; it is not traditionally used as a gemstone. * Basalt primarily consists of feldspar, micas, pyroxenes, and amphiboles. * Basalt is one of the most common rocks on Earth, and is also abundant on the moon and on Mars. * Basalt is commonly crushed for use as an aggregate in construction projects, and is occasionally cut and polished for use as floor tiles, monuments, etcetera. Category:Earth Gems Category:Characters Category:Independents Category:Off-Color Gems Category:Obsidians Category:Cave Rocks Category:Era 1 Gems